Music Education: A Necessary Part of the Educational Process or Not?

Living in a world surrounded by noises and sounds, one cannot deny that music lives all around them. Schools, street corners, sporting events, there is one thing you will always find: music. Music education is quickly becoming defunct in schools, as many try to decry its many benefits. A growing emphasis on the concrete subjects of math and science, whose benefits are more immediate, are pushing the creativity and imagination of music classes to the back of the budget. Music education is no longer described as stimulating and exciting, but rather unnecessary and distracting. But the benefits of having an education in music is undeniable. Simply being around music can have a positive impact on life. Music enables the human race to discover emotions that they have never uncovered before. The human mind is refreshed by music; “our imagination and memories are stimulated by the sounds, and summon feelings and memories associated with the musical sound” (Wingell 15). Without music, the world would be silent. Lifeless. No matter what language one speaks or what culture one is from, music is a universal language, connecting the hearts of people around the entire world. In schools throughout the nation, that connection is being severed because of budget cuts and lack of funding, but the benefits of music education are clear. The benefits of having an education in music are not only present in the classroom; a lasting impact is also left on the social and emotional growth of a person, though the gains may not be evinced immediately. Participating in musical education programs in schools can give students the opportunity to form lasting friendships and to gain skills that will last them their entire lives. Music education can be beneficial to students because it enhances students’ performance in the classroom, aids in improving student’s interest and engagement in school, and advances students’ social and emotional growth.

Throughout history music has played an important role in society, whether it was Mozart moving people with his newest opera or the latest album from the Beatles. Where would society be today without music? With schools cutting their music programs, the next Mozart may not get his chance to discover his amazing talent. Music programs are essential to education. To fully understand this one must understand how music helps the human body, why schools have cut music programs, and why people should learn music.

“Musical is a universal experience. With few exceptions, all humans perceive musical pitch, tone, timbre, and harmony. We listen to music to relax, to help us think, to celebrate, and grieve. Our emotional responses to music have been noted in literature, poetry, and drama. The power of music to evoke an emotional response is used by advertising companies, film directors, and mothers singing their babies to sleep. Early education teachers are familiar with using music and rhythm as tools for learning language and building memory. (Foran, 2009) Several musical melodies are used in grade school to learn information. Music is used in my math classes across the world to enhance the learning process of formulas. English classes use music help children learn prepositional phrases, adjectives, adverbs, noun, and etc. However, after most scholars reached a certain grade level, using music to achieve new heights academically became a technique of the past. Most instructors didn’t bother using music in order to help retain information. It was almost as if it was forgotten about. But, if music is so important why isn’t it allowed in most classrooms today? Many teachers are not fond of music in the classroom. To many, it is seen as a distraction. Is it the type of music a person chooses to listen to? Would it be different if the music chosen by

Across the United States many elementary school music classrooms are filled with simple and popular tunes such as Hot Cross Buns and The Ode to Joy, played on the recorder, while high school students may be playing collegiate or professional pieces of music such as Armenian Dances and Carmen Suites. I have been very fortunate to have gone on the journey of progressing through different music education programs within Fairfax County Public Schools. If I was never exposed to music while in elementary school I might not have ever found one of my greatest passions or been able to create such fond and unforgettable memories. While music education programs across the country appear large and strong, many schools are beginning to experience budget reductions. As a result, music is often the very first component of a school 's curriculum or programs to be cut or significantly reduced, but I believe this is not the right course of action. It is important to preserve and promote music education in public schools because of the proven cognitive, character,and academic benefits for students.

Now that the first element of music education has been explained, it becomes relevant to quantify and define what determines a quality music education for an individual. It is not as simple as “one ought to be exposed to different kinds of music to listen to and enjoy for cultural diversity.” That is a key element to quality music education and pedagogy, but it is a little bit more involved than that. The first

Millions of students all around the world are involved in music education, but not everyone agrees that music is important to students. Music should be a key element of every person’s life. It teaches so many useful things to everyone who is involved. Musical education is important because it teaches students valuable skills that they will use throughout their lives.

Many people believe that the arts, specifically music programs, hold no beneficial value to students other than for an extracurricular activity. Others believe that having these programs within our schools, only takes away from instructional time. However, research has shown that music education, and exposure to music in general, provides great benefits and values to the adolescents that are involved in said programs (“Music Matters”). Participation in music programs promotes the advancement of academic scores and sets students on the path to success later in life. Furthermore, these programs, be it instrumental or vocal, provide an outlet for adolescents to express themselves and have truly lasting implications on their global development. Notwithstanding all of the pleasure and self-confidence gained through participation in music programs, music education may provide important benefits towards students’ academics by improving their concentration levels and cultivating higher order thinking skills that may increase academic achievement.

Music education is important because students develop music appreciation and become sensitive during their development. Through music education, students are working their body and mind together because they are developing social and emotional skills. Young children

Many people believe that the arts and music hold no beneficial value to students other than for an extracurricular activity. Some believe that there are not benefits and that it is a waste of time. However, research has shown that music education provides great benefits and values to the adolescents that are involved in their schools music program (“Music Matters”). Music plays a large role in the advancement of academic scores and allows juveniles to express themselves in an inspiring way. Music helps students to become successful later in life and goes to show that music is an important aspect in many adolescents lives. Music education may provide important benefits towards students’ academics by improving their concentration levels and cultivating higher order thinking skills that may increase academic achievement.

Music is a universal passion. Whether you are three years old or ninety years old, whether you are a democrat or a republican, or whether you are from North America or Africa, everyone finds joy and comfort in music. Music plays such an immense role in the day to day lives of people all around the world. So, why is the funding for music programs all around the country being slashed? The debate over whether music programs in schools benefit or hinder children’s overall academic achievements. Proponents of the funding cuts argue that it simply costs too much money to sustain these music programs with all the instruments and sheet music they require, and that they are a distraction from the “more important” academic classes. On the other hand, opponents argue that providing kids with an education in music improves brain activity which in turn allows them to actually excel in other subject areas. While it is true that music can be distracting in some cases, it is extremely important to fund music programs in schools to give students the best academic opportunities possible.

A. Research suggest that music education and its relationship to child’s overall education is crucial. Based on many research results it's come to my conclusion that music is an important part of a student's curriculum because it enhances their performance in subject areas such as math and language arts, boost their self esteem, and improves their phonetic and language skills.

Music education is the foundation upon which our popular culture is built. There is a cliché idea that music is the most important subject matter in our schools and that it includes all other academic disciplines. This is cliché because without stating this fact several times a day, our STEM counterparts might forget music qualifies as an academic course.

Gouzouasis, P., Guhn, M., & Kishor, N. (2007, March). The predicative relationship between achievement and participation in music and achievement in core Grade 12 academic subjects. Music Education Research, 9(1), 81-92. doi:10.1090/14613800601127569. Peter Gouzouasis, Martin Guhn, and Nand Kishor, professors at the University of British Columbia, assert that art subjects are a great potential partner for academic studies because many of the skills one acquires from a music class are transferable to academic skills. They deliver their compelling argument through deductive reasoning and empirical research. To elaborate, they begin by discussing how little research has been done to support the theory that music skills benefit students academically; and then conduct their own experiment on 11th graders involved in music courses to predict the students’ scores as 12th graders. They then provide their empirical findings which show their scores to be considerably higher than non-music participants, by doing this they show readers hard evidence that proves their assertion. They do this to appeal to the reader's sense of logic in order to persuade them to realize the importance of music not only for its intricate beauty but for its blatant advantages it gives to students academically. The intended audience for this paper would be school administration and music educators because the authors urge administrators to see the benefits of music, while stating that music educators must be

Many schools have cut music programs due loss of funding, and loss of interest. Some believe it is a waste of time, and music is another expense on bills, a weight in our wallets. This is widely believed by parents and educators to be a big mistake. Music, whether taught in or outside of school, helps students excel in the following ways I have stated Music is beneficial to students in schools.

Music is fascinating because there are so many different uses and styles. It is an enjoyable way to help the brain grow and develop. Plato once said, “I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy; but most importantly music, for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning.” Music classes should be part of the required core curriculum through all four years of high school; however, some schools don’t have the money to support these programs, despite the many benefits it has for students in all areas of learning.